stay

I have a total girl-crush on her.  Love her voice, the lyrics and the tattoo on the inside of her right arm.

Winter, I am done with you.  I am done with colds, with cold extremities, with shortened daylight hours, and with the floors in my apartment being perpetually sandy.  I am done with looking about 40 lbs. heavier than I actually am when I "dress for the weather".  I tried to appreciate the fat flakes of snow as they drifted down this morning, but all I could think of was how many layers I'd have to put on if I wanted to venture outside.  My cheeks are chapped, because no matter how many layers I put on, they're always left unprotected.  I joined a gym recently, because last winter was pretty sedentary for me.  But I'm still not getting the exercise I should, because going to the gym involves venturing out into the -4 degrees Fahrenheit air.  I'm becoming a hermit by default.

I am so done.  

these things go together

Moving day and Chinese food, apple-picking and cider (and cider donuts), being out in the snow and hot chocolate, amusement parks and fried dough, the ocean and lobster rolls, SoCal and In-n-Out, sore throat and ginger tea, Boston and banh mi, Fridays and fish, hangovers and breakfast sandwiches, Madrid and gazpacho.

Slow-Cooker Pork & Sauerkraut Recipe

So, I fiddled with this today and came up with what I think is a satisfactory recipe.  It's perfect for a cold and snowy day:  comforting, filling and flavorful.  And since it's a slow-cooker recipe, you can do other things (two loads of laundry and a lot of cleaning, in my case) while it cooks.  I didn't take any photos of this while it was cooking, or of the finished dish, but I'll try to remember that for next time.

Ingredients:

• One 4 - 6 lb. boneless pork sirloin roast
• 2 bags of sauerkraut (Canned sauerkraut isn't a good substitution - the flavor is muddy and metallic.  Jarred sauerkraut is fine.)
• 3 - 4 tbsp. plain applesauce
• 1 bottle of dark beer, such as Sam Adams Boston Lager
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 tbsp. red pepper flakes
• 3 medium onions
• 3 large garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 3 tbsp. olive oil

1. Peel the onions and slice them into thin rings.  Set aside.
2. Peel and mince the garlic cloves.  Set aside with the onions.
3. Season the whole pork roast with kosher salt and black pepper.
4. Melt the butter together with the olive oil in a large skillet (preferably a 9 - 10 inch cast iron skillet) over low heat.  Raise the heat to medium-high.  Once the temperature of the skillet has been raised, add the pork roast.  Brown the roast on all sides.  
5. Set the roast aside onto a plate.
6. Add the onions and garlic to skillet.  Cook until soft and translucent.
7. Add the sauerkraut, beer, chicken broth, applesauce, and red pepper flakes to the skillet.  Heat through.
8. Transfer about half of the sauerkraut mixture in the skillet to the slow-cooker.  Place the pork roast on top of the mixture and then pour the rest of the mix over the roast.  Cover the slow-cooker.
9. Cook the pork and sauerkraut on low for about 4 1/2 hours.
10. Serve over mashed potatoes.